For nucleic acid analysis e.g. for the analysis of white blood cells from whole blood, for the purpose of answering human genomic questions, the cells must first be disintegrated in a first station as a sample preparation step and the DNA thereby released must subsequently be isolated. In a second station, a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is carried out for selective DNA amplification, in order to increase the concentration of the DNA to be detected so that it can be detected in a third station.
In the laboratory, the latter sub-processes are carried out separately according to known prior art. The aforementioned three stations each involve a plurality of working steps and are carried out separately from one another with different devices. The individual working steps are substantially carried out manually.
Conduct of the latter method is contingent on the provision of laboratory devices—such as cell disintegrating apparatus, a PCR device (a so-called thermocycler), optionally a PCR device which is suitable for quantitative PCR, electrophoretic apparatus, a hybridizing station, an optical reader, so-called Eppendorf tubes, a plurality of pipetting devices and a cooling container for reagents—and must be carried out by trained personnel while complying with safety rules governing infection risk, waste disposal, etc. In particular, a plurality of volumetric i.e. accurate dosings (pipettings) of reagent solutions have to be carried out. Such working steps are time-consuming and cost-intensive.
Instruments for biochemical analysis are known from the prior art, which according to WO 02/073153 employ in particular silicon-based measuring modules which can be integrated into a chip card. In this case, according to WO 02/072262 A1, the reagents used for the analysis are already integrated in dryly stored form into the analysis module.